observe

Conduct a structured observation session — framing the observation target, witnessing with sustained neutral attention, recording patterns without interpretation, categorizing findings, generating hypotheses from patterns, and archiving the observations for future reference.

Define what is being observed, why, and from what perspective.

Expected: A clear frame that directs attention without constraining it. The observer knows where to look and what categories to sort observations into, but remains open to the unexpected.

Sustained neutral pattern recognition across systems without urgency or intervention. Maps naturalist field study methodology to AI reasoning: framing the observation target, witnessing with sustained attention, recording patterns, categorizing findings, generating hypotheses, and archiving a pattern library for future reference. Use when a system's behavior is unclear and action would be premature, when debugging an unknown root cause, when a codebase change needs its effects witnessed before further changes, or when auditing own reasoning patterns for biases or recurring errors. Source: pjt222/development-guides.